Gaza Ceasefire Uncertain As First Phase Ends With No New Talks

The six-week ceasefire in Gaza came to an end on Saturday, with Hamas stating that no discussions were taking place for the second phase. Hamas further accused Israel of failing to honor its commitment to fully withdraw from Gaza and bring an end to the war.

Talks for the second phase were originally scheduled to begin several weeks ago. When the agreement was first announced in January, then-President Joe Biden emphasized that the ceasefire would extend beyond the six-week period, provided that the negotiations continued. However, despite this commitment, there has been no progress toward starting those discussions.

Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem told Al-Araby TV on Saturday that "there are no negotiations" concerning the second phase of the ceasefire. He added that Israel's proposal to extend the first phase was "unacceptable to us."

The first phase of the ceasefire, which temporarily halted 15 months of conflict in the Gaza Strip, resulted in the release of 33 hostages, including eight deceased individuals, in exchange for almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.

Representatives from Israel, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States have been conducting talks in Cairo for the second phase, with the goal of ending the war by ensuring the return of all remaining living hostages and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.

Hamas began the conflict with its attack on October 7, 2023, which claimed the lives of 1,200 people in Israel. In retaliation, Israel launched a military offensive that, according to Gaza health officials, has resulted in more than 48,000 Palestinian deaths. While these officials do not separate civilian casualties from those of combatants, they note that more than half of the deceased are women and children, highlighting the devastating impact of the ongoing violence on Gaza's civilian population.

Hamas has turned down an Israeli proposal to prolong the first phase of the ceasefire by 42 days, arguing that it contradicts the terms of the truce agreement. The information came from a member of the group, who asked to remain anonymous to discuss the confidential negotiations.

As concerns surrounding the ceasefire continue to rise, the Pentagon revealed on Friday that the U.S. State Department had granted approval for an emergency sale of nearly $3 billion worth of bombs and other weaponry to Israel. This sale marked the second instance in which the Trump administration had declared a state of emergency to facilitate such arms transactions with Israel since the previous month, further intensifying the ongoing debate over the U.S. role in the conflict.

Alongside discussions for the second phase of the ceasefire, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated last week that the mediators involved in the talks were also exploring strategies to improve the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. This initiative is part of broader efforts to ease the suffering of the population and foster stability in the region.